The Art of Love 9
by StatsGrandma57
Summary: It's a long way to Bespin. Han and Leia will learn a lot about each other on the trip. Thank you for your patience. Chapter 9 completes this story. Thank you for reading, and endless thanks to the world's best beta, 2Old4This2!
1. Chapter 1

THE ART OF LOVE

"Chewie, you're on watch now," Han told his furry first mate. It had been an exhausting day – being attacked by Imperials and attacking back, trying to get the _Falcon's _hyperdrive to behave and not succeeding in doing so, discovering that the cave they'd entered was in fact a giant and very hungry space slug. Add to that his and Leia's first kiss, and all in all, Han figured it'd been sort of an intense day.

{Are you and the Princess going to finally mate}? Chewie asked as Han followed Leia down to the galley. Han hoped Leia had been unable, or at least not able to translate, the Wookiee's impertinent question.

"Shut up, fuzzball!" Han snapped at Chewie. There were times when his best friend could be downright irritating. This was one of those times. Chewie merely chuckled.

The fact was, Han Solo was very, very interested in 'mating.' But Leia was much younger than he, and he wondered how much exposure to the opposite sex she'd had. Being a princess and a member of the Imperial Senate at such an early age had probably made anything resembling normal interactions with the opposite sex impossible.

Leia had been cleaning up the small area that housed the galley, crew and captain's quarters, and a small med bay. Han wasn't the sloppiest man in the galaxy, but admittedly, he hadn't had much time to keep the place freshened up. Little things like war kept getting in the way.

"I hope you don't mind," Leia said, blushing slightly as she carried the bedding to the portable valet.

"Are you kidding? I'm grateful as all hells. Chewie doesn't help out much in this area," Han said, smiling at her. Leia glanced up. She noticed that the cocky pilot's persona had been replaced by a man who was smiling tenderly. He actually looked a bit unsure of himself.

"Well, it's not as if any of us would win any housekeeping awards these days," Leia said. "The only reason my quarters weren't a wreck was because there was almost nothing in them."

"It was a little sparse," Han admitted. "But it's not as if military bases are built for comfort, especially in the frozen version of hell. Come to think of it, neither are small freighters." Leia gave him a smile. His heart felt as if it was going to burst. "Anyway, thanks for taking care of that."

"You're welcome," Leia said quietly as she fed the bedding through the valet.

"I guess I don't think of princesses as having to do laundry," Han said to her as he came over to assist her in folding.

"It's funny," Leia said to him. "When I was little, my best friend was our chambermaid's daughter. Kira and her mother would clean our bedrooms and those of any guests at the palace. I loved helping change the sheets and towels. It was relaxing for me. The smell when they came from the drying unit was heavenly."

"Interesting," Han said to her. "What was it like growing up in a palace?"

There were no notes of sarcasm in Han's voice. He was genuinely interested in what she had to say. It was clearly a bit unsettling to both.

"Well, it was an interesting life," Leia said.

"I'd imagine so," Han said, reaching into the chiller. "Want something to drink?"

"What do you have?" Leia asked, unsure of what she wanted. She didn't want to get drunk, but maybe a little alcohol would settle her nerves. She was more than a little nervous being in such close confines with Han. She wanted to get closer to him, in all ways possible, but he'd been right just before he'd kissed her – she was frightened. At the same time, though, she desired him, longed for him to kiss her again, as he'd done in the circuitry bay.

"Some decent Alderaanian ale. Not top of the line, but I did manage to negotiate a good price for it on Ord Mantell."

"And the Rogues have been singing your praises ever since," Leia reminded him, her tone dry but not condescending or cold. In fact, she laughed a little. Han watched her, overjoyed to see her smile and laugh.

"I've got some Asteria water and Emera wine," Han added.

Leia blinked in disbelief. "Where did you..."

Han smiled. "I'm a smuggler, remember?"

"I seem to remember hearing that somewhere. I love both," she said simply. "I'll start with some Asteria water, thanks." _You need to stay sober, _she informed herself firmly. Another thought passed through her mind: was it possible Han had somehow figured out her favorite beverages? She'd never really considered it, but it occurred to her that Han Solo might be a person who was gifted at tuning in on subtle clues about people. Certainly she'd never been that obvious with him.

Han handed her the glass and she allowed herself to luxuriate in the flavor. She'd not had Asteria water in ages, and the subtle fruitiness of Asterian peaches brought her back to a time when she wasn't dodging bullets and trying not to fall in love with someone whose background was somewhat questionable.

"Do you cook?" Han asked. It was a real inquiry, not an occasion to taunt her, but she felt a little defensive.

"No. I loved being in the kitchen when I was little, especially when Chelbi – that was our cook – was baking sweets. But she was always annoyed at me and said that the kitchen was no place for children, especially not princesses. Can I arrange a banquet for a cast of thousands? Probably. Can I manage a meal that won't poison the both of us? Doubtful." Leia's cheeks grew red with embarrassment.

"Don't be ashamed," Han said gently.

"At least you can put a meal together," Leia reminded him. "The soup and juice you made for me when I was sick was the best food I'd had since I'd gone on the front lines."

"Didn't like the hot buttered rum?" Han teased, very gently.

"The only thing wrong with the hot buttered rum was that I could have used more of it." Both laughed.

"Me, too," Han agreed. "First, we need to figure out what our supply situation is. I calculated that going through deep space at sublight, it could take as much as forty days to arrive at Bespin."

"That long?" Leia felt her heart sink a little. She couldn't contact the fleet and risk giving away their position. But forty days seemed like an eternity stretching before her.

"Worst case scenario. I think we can do it faster, but let's plan for what happens if something goes wrong."

"I can't cook, but I can do inventory," Leia offered.

"Let's figure this out, then. You're on ration bars."

"Got it." There were several flavors of them, but to Leia, they all seemed flavorless. She counted them out carefully. Han assessed the perishables. They counted quietly, but both seemed at ease with the silence.

"So what's your estimate?" Leia asked Han when both had completed the task.

"Well, worst case scenario is ration bars for two meals and the good stuff for one," Han said unhappily. "If we make better time, we can revise it, but for now, let's treat it as if we're going to be out here a long time. Fortunately, we've got enough kaf for the entire time and beyond. We'll have to watch the potable water supply, but we've got lots of beverages, unless we plan to go on a weekend bender, which I suspect isn't your style."

"Not exactly," Leia said, chuckling a little. "And I don't think it's yours, either. Unless you're playing cards with the Rogues."

"Oh, please, the last time we played sabacc I woke up with the hangover from the ninth level of the hells. I can't do that anymore."

"Getting too old for that?" Leia teased gently.

"Hey, I'm only thirty-three," Han joked back. "I don't think I'm quite ready for Recopia." Recopia was a favorite among human retirees. It had perfect weather year round, and the waters were reputed to have healing powers in them.

"I only hope we live long enough to get there," Leia said wistfully. A look of great pain passed over her face. Han knew what it was: she was missing her family and friends who died on Alderaan and the ones they'd lost to war. But Han knew that getting her to talk about what went on inside of her would require more than laundry and inventory

"Chrono says it's late," Han stated. "We can have a really late dinner or a really early breakfast."

"I'm not much of a breakfast person. If you want to make it for yourself, of course do so, but for breakfast, I'm fine with a ration bar and some kaf."

"We haven't had a decent meal in over forty-eight hours," Han pronounced his calculation. "I'm thinking dinner." He wanted to say, you need to eat more – Leia had lost a lot of weight in the last year – but he saved it. She probably would take it as him being critical, and he didn't think this was the moment. "Do you like roast gorak with malla petals?"

Leia smiled at him. "You have the ingredients for that?"

"I do. I was introduced to it when I went to Alderaan to do a little breaking and entering. It's good."

"And is that when you learned to cook it?" she joked.

"No, that came later. Even I get tired of nerf grease once in a while." Han flashed her his lopsided grin.

"You know the way to a woman's heart is through her stomach," Leia said, laughing.

"I wasn't sure," Han admitted. "I've never seen you eat much."

"Let's just say that while we have a number of fine cooks, they don't have a lot to work with. I stopped caring what I ate a while ago."

"Perhaps this'll change your mind. I don't do anything fancy, but I was allowed in the kitchen while I was a kid, and I learned mostly by watching. Plus, one time I lost a bet and had to cook breakfast for a month."

Leia arched an eyebrow. "Han Solo actually lost a bet?"

"It doesn't happen often, but when it does, well, it's a big loss," Han said, sipping his ale and taking a gorak from the deep freeze. "On the other hand, I won the _Falcon _fair and square from Lando, my friend. By the way, I use malla petals, but I also throw in some Corellian vweilu nuts. You ever had them?"

"A long time ago, yes. I liked them."

"I know you haven't learned to cook, but I imagine you can chop up salad vegetables," Han said to her.

"I think I can," she responded.

Han was thawing the gorak and handed her some root and leafy vegetables.

Leia had been feeling more and more at ease talking with Han – until this moment.

"How should I do this?" Leia asked Han.

"Just cut stuff up," Han told her. "You're good with tools."

Leia wasn't especially confident, but she took the vegetables Han handed her and a knife. The nervousness and lack of confidence were returning. Gingerly, she began to chop an orange, triangular shaped vegetable.

_He's going to think I'm an idiot, _Leia told herself. She remembered watching Chelbi chop vegetables. She was faster than the speed of light when she did so. The memory was making her feel inadequate. Chelbi's chopped foods were also uniform in size; Leia had some flimsi thin slices and others that could choke Chewie.

"I'm pretty terrible at this," Leia said to Han, who was preparing the malla petal and vweilu stuffing for the gorak.

"It's just practice," Han assured her. "Nobody's born knowing how to do this stuff."

"But not many reach my age and not know how to do this."

"Relax, Leia." Han's voice was soothing. "We're preparing dinner, not works of art."

Leia took a deep breath and began her task again. Her hands shook, but she firmly gripped the knife. She could wield a blaster pistol and hit a target many meters away. She was somewhat adept at doing repairs. She could, if need be, pilot a spacecraft. _So why, she told herself, am I worrying so much about this_?

She began to relax a little more as she progressed. Her slices were becoming somewhat similar in size, although her speed was, to her mind, pathetically slow.

"How do cooks do this?" Leia wondered out loud.

Han looked at her. "You're doing fine, sweetheart. I'll give you a hint, though." He walked over to her and stood behind her. "Pull your elbows in close to your body, and move the knife, not your wrists." He positioned her carefully. "Give it a try and see if it helps you." He loosely held her while she made an attempt. Leia was beginning to feel more and more flustered.

"You're not getting graded on this," Han reminded her. "It takes practice." He backed off gently and returned to the gorak.

"How'd you learn to cook?" Leia asked him, trying to implement the technique he'd shown her.

"From the cook where I grew up," Han answered. "Her name was Dewlanna, and she was a Wookiee. Despite what you see Chewie eat, it's not all raw meat." Wookiees did, in fact, enjoy many cooked dishes, although traditionally meat was served raw. "I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her. She was, for lack of a better term, something of a guardian to me."

Leia wanted very much to ask him about his parents, but wasn't sure he was willing to talk about it. She'd let him go there if he wanted to.

Han seemed willing to continue. "She protected me from a lot. She even tried to help me become educated. My dream was to join the Imperial Navy. She knew I'd never be admitted if I was illiterate. Does it bother you that that was my previous occupation?"

Leia already knew that. She'd looked up whatever background she could find on him, if only to confirm her suspicions that the way Han could shoot and pilot were skills only acquired under military auspices. But she simply nodded.

"All of the officers here were Imperial soldiers," Leia reminded him.

"You were telling me what life was like in the palace," Han said, returning to their prior topic of conversation.

"I had a nice life," Leia said to him. "I always had good food and clothing, never worried about where I was going to have to spend the next night. I had parents who loved me. I had the best scholars tutoring me. And I used to complain about the constraints that it imposed. But I never really appreciated it till...a few years ago."

Han knew she was talking about the destruction of Alderaan. A shadow of pain passed over her features; no one else probably would have noticed. Han had spent three years studying her. She wasn't fooling him.

"What things made you not appreciate it?" Han's simple tone momentarily took Leia aback; that royalty could complain about their lives was not something most beings understood. Of course, for most beings, life was about working and paying bills and trying to offer their offspring that which was better than they had. A life in the palace, for most, seemed positively opulent and wonderful.

Leia was still cutting and was about to answer his question when she let out a shriek of pain.


	2. Chapter 2

1

Chapter 2

"Let me see," Han said to her, taking her hand, which now had a dark sheen of blood running down it.

"It's nothing!" Leia snapped. "I just cut my finger!" She was incredibly embarrassed that she, a member of the Royal House of Alderaan, couldn't chop vegetables without hurting herself. Han would have fodder for jokes for a long time to come.

"A simple cut doesn't bleed that much," Han said to her. "Look, you've nearly sliced the tip off." He handed her a small clean towel. "Keep the pressure on it while I get the synth skin and antibiotics." He vanished into the small med bay, checking the supplies. There was enough.

Leia watched miserably as the blood soaked the towel.

Han scrubbed his hands and then removed the towel from her hand. He took a small amount of synth skin from the tube, and gently put a first layer on it. He was being, Leia realized, very gentle, as if he did this all the time. He applied another layer.

She realized she had a lot to learn about the scruffy nerfherder who was bandaging her finger.

"I'm just glad the Rogues aren't here," Leia said dryly. "They'd have a field day with this."

"Not unless I told 'em. Which I won't," Han assured her. "Okay, take this." He handed her an antibiotic pill. "I don't think this is a good time to risk an infection."

She took it with a gulp of asteria water. "Thank you," she said softly to Han. She stood up and returned to the vegetables. "I'll try not to bleed all over these."

Han watched her return to the chopping task.

"You see, any other woman would've given up," Han said. "But you're relentless." He gave her a wicked grin. "Which, by the way, is totally hot."

Leia blushed. "Okay, Flyboy, settle down," she said, keeping her tone light. Secretly, she appreciated the compliment – and the fact that Han wasn't going to tell her to stop chopping the vegetables.

"We were talking about life at the palace," Han reminded her.

"You really want to hear that?" Leia said to him.

"Yeah, I do, actually. I don't know very much about princesses. Especially you."

"I had lots of lessons. I liked academics – well, most of them. Mathematics were never my strong point. But I loved history and geography and languages. I had an introduction to basic sentient biology, and I had to take chemistry and physics as well. But then there was all the other stuff that royals consider a vital part of education."

"Such as?" Han had finished putting the gorak into the convector.

Leia shrugged. "Etiquette and protocol. How to greet rulers from all different types of planets. Dance lessons. Dewback riding lessons. How to manage seating for a banquet, as well as devising a menu that would suit different species in one dinner. How to conduct oneself as an ambassador. How to dress for various events. How to handle weapons."

"I was wondering about that. I was sort of annoyed when I arrived on Alderaan and had to hand over my blaster," Han said.

"Alderaan was peaceful. We didn't have a military and we saw no need for weapons. But my father said things were changing and I needed to know how to handle weapons. I learned to fence, and what to do if caught in enemy territory."

"Did you sleep?" Han joked with her.

"I did. I just didn't have time to play." Leia sighed. "I know, everyone should have it so rough."

"I don't know. I got tired just listening to that," Han said as the two headed over to the banquette in the lounge.

"I used to envy Kira and the other servants' kids being able to run around the palace grounds and play. They had chores, but they had time for fun. I remember watching them play in the sun and wanting to be out there with them." She sighed. "They're probably all gone. I can't even think about it. It makes me feel as if I'm going insane."

"War's insane, not you," Han reminded her. "It makes us all a little crazy."

"Tell me about it," Leia said. "Sometimes I wonder if this war is going to last forever."

"I hope not," Han said to her. "The food sucks."

Leia burst into laughter. "Yes, it does." She'd completed chopping the salad vegetables and put them into a bowl carved out of a beautiful deep blue stone. "Where did you get this bowl? They're very valuable, you know."

"One of the most important skills I learned from burglary was how to appraise stuff," Han told her. "I found this in at a place on Cularin called Nenmo's Curios. Most of Nenmo's stuff is crap, but occasionally he gets something interesting. Like this bowl. I'd ripped a couple of these off when I was still learning the fine points of B and E, and found out they were worth some serious credits. So I got it for nearly nothing. Nenmo's son's taken over since then; I think Nenmo Junior's a little more discriminating. Place is like someone's closet with everything just thrown in there, so if you can brave the clutter and the dust, you can do pretty well, if you know what things are worth."

"Well, I suppose if you're thinking in terms of a marketable skill," Leia chuckled as Han drank another ale and she continued on her asteria water.

"It came in handy when I was reduced to smuggling. That's how you came to know me. When I got cashiered out of the Navy, no legitimate business was gonna touch me. It got even worse after I had to drop a load of spice that I was carrying for Jabba the Hutt."

Leia knew he'd been cashiered out. It had stated in his record that he'd refused to follow a direct order. That part didn't surprise her. What she was learning, however, was that there were many layers to her handsome smuggler.

"If you don't want to answer, that's fine," Leia told him, "but would you mind if I asked why?"

"Nope," Han said, taking her injured hand gently in his. The finger was swollen but no more bleeding was evident; she'd be fine in a day or two. And she wasn't complaining about the pain. "You know how Chewie goes everywhere with me?"

"I've wondered what he sees in you, but go on," she said, her mouth curving into a smile.

"I was supposed to beat him with a neuronic whip and then skin him," Han explained. "I thought it was wrong, and I said so, and I wouldn't do it. Tell the truth, I was already starting to chafe under the stupid Navy rules. I wasn't sure how much longer I was gonna be able to put up with them, but I would've liked to have made the choice myself."

Leia's expression was a rough mix of revulsion, anger and horror. "You did the right thing."

"Please don't let that I have anything resembling a sense of morality get out! I've got a reputation to keep up!" Han said, laughing.

"No one would believe it, anyway," Leia kidded back, and they were both laughing. It suddenly occurred to Leia that it had been a long, long time since she'd felt this relaxed and comfortable with another person, if ever.

The same thought graced itself upon Han. He felt as if he didn't have to be anything other than what he really was.

"Certainly not Rieekan," Han grinned at her.

"Actually, General Rieekan thinks the galaxy of you," Leia told him.

"I'm not sure about that, but I respect the man completely," Han said. "He's a better leader and way more honest than any of the assclowns I served under in the Navy. And more than any of the other Rebel leaders."

"Dodonna seems to respect you," Leia commented, a bit puzzled.

"Dodonna respects me because I'll get the job done, but he's made it pretty clear that I'm worthless if I don't take a commission. And I don't plan on that."

Leia winced a bit. It had bothered her over the last three years that Han refused to take a commission; he'd been offered several times. But now she understood why he didn't. He was willing to follow orders, but only if they made sense to him. Han was very much his own man.

_Maybe that's why I find him so attractive,_ she thought, a bit uneasily.

And what a man he was. Leia thought back to the boys she'd met over the years. That was it, she realized. They were just boys. Some of them were princes, but as royalty went, she'd been less than impressed. Some were looking to be kept men, and what better way to attain that status than to marry a princess, who just happened to be an heir to considerable wealth. Some had parents who wanted to form a political alliance between the two families. This particular proposition had Leia declaring that she was _never_ going to marry. Her parents were progressive people despite having been an arranged marriage, and it had worked out rather well for them, but she wasn't going that route.

Leia had been groomed for public service. That aspect of her upbringing she accepted.

But falling in love? No one had warned her about _that_.

"Bird's done," Han announced, taking some mismatched utensils and dishes from the cupboard.

"I think I can take care of those without causing any bodily injury," Leia laughed.

"Your body or mine?" Han winked at her as he opened the convector.

"Flyboy, you're hopeless!" Leia rolled her eyes but laughed.

"Like I've never heard that one before!" Han shot back, but like Leia, he was laughing.

He couldn't remember when he'd laughed this much with anyone. And seeing Leia enjoying herself made him feel...well, in a way she probably wasn't ready to talk about yet.

The gravity of their situation wasn't lost on either of them. They were literally on the run for their lives. The ship was a wreck without the hyperdrive. They had limited provisions. It was still a long way to Bespin – a very long way.

And neither could remember when he'd last had this much fun.

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They'd played cards for a short time after dinner, but exhaustion was setting in on both. The adrenaline they'd been operating on had dissipated.

There was an awkward silence. Both were dealing with the fact that their bodies were telling them to take it to the next level. But Leia was nervous, and Han was aware of her nervousness. He wasn't going to push her.

"You get the bunk," Han said gently to her. "I mean, you did do the laundry, so you get dibs."

"I can sleep in the medbay," Leia offered.

"I don't let princesses sleep in the med bay," Han informed her.

Leia gave a dry smile. "How many princesses have you had on board?"

"You're the first," Han assured her. He was trying not to show his disappointment that she wasn't ready to bed down with him, but he didn't want to rush her. His hormones were running amok, and while he felt as if hers were in the same state, if he pushed too hard, she'd retreat.

She looked up at him. "Would you mind if I used the 'fresher? I could really use a good shower. I don't want to use the water-"

"The shower water's recycled. It's clean but not potable. So go ahead."

"Also..." Leia blushed a little. "Do you have something...maybe an old shirt...that I could sleep in?"

Han smiled at her. "Take a look in the bottom cabinet in the captain's quarters."

"You don't want to choose it?"

"My wardrobe doesn't have much variety. Whatever you take is fine," Han said as he drew her into his arms, feeling her head burrow into his chest. He wondered if she could hear his heartbeat. She felt so warm and soft as her arms encircled his waist. There was nothing he wanted more to do was to take her to his bed and make love to her.

Leia, too, felt so safe and comfortable in his embrace. She wanted him, body and soul. But it was happening so fast...

"I'm gonna hassle Chewie while you freshen up," Han said as he kissed the top of her head. It was several minutes before they could release each other.


	3. Chapter 3

1

Chapter 3

Leia stepped tentatively out of Han's quarters. He was brewing some kaf in the tiny kitchen. Clad in one of his old shirts and a soft pair of sleep pants with a drawstring waist, which she had been grateful to find. Despite being modestly clothed, she suddenly felt very exposed and uncertain.

"Looks nicer on you than on me," Han said, smiling appreciatively at her.

"Um, thanks," she mumbled, not certain what to say. "I think I'm a bit short for these." The sleep pants had to be rolled a considerable length for her not to trip over them and the waistline rolled down. As she stretched, the shirt flipped up slightly, displaying a small amount of creamy skin.

Han thought she looked adorable. He walked over and gathered her into his arms, dipping his face down to kiss her. He'd never felt this tender toward or protective of anyone in his previous life. Not that Leia was fragile; she wasn't. But Han sensed that her heart was. And he was determined to never take advantage of it. His desire might be flooding his body and brain, but he was not going to do anything she might be uncomfortable with.

Leia, despite her reticence, was also feeling something for this man that she'd never felt for anyone before. It was frightening and tantalizing at the same time. She craved more from Han, but she didn't feel quite ready to take the next step toward intimacy. She hoped he understood that he wasn't being rebuffed.

"Why don't you get some sleep, sweetheart?" Han's voice was low and soft. She knew he had a voice that could wake the dead when needed, but Leia thought she'd never heard anything sound so sexy.

But she was tired; she'd felt the adrenaline seeping out of her at dinner, and she knew she needed to sleep. Leia was prone to insomnia in the best of times, and the last few years could hardly have been considered the best.

Han held Leia close, drawing small circles on her back, feeling her relaxing against him.

"Let's get you in bed," Han urged gently.

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Han rejoined Chewie in the cockpit.

{What's wrong}? Chewie furrowed his brow at his friend.

"Whaddya mean, what's wrong?" Han asked quietly.

{I thought you were going to mate}.

"She needs a little more time, and besides, she's exhausted," Han said, his tone betraying his disappointment.

{What is it that they tell humans to do...take a shower or something like that}?

"A cold shower. By the way, I never ask about your sex life, and I'd appreciate the same courtesy," Han said somewhat more sharply than he'd intended.

Chewie's blue eyes were soft, and he changed his teasing tone to one of tenderness.

{You really love her, don't you}? Chewie mewled gently.{Perhaps you'll be life mates}.

"I think that's getting a little bit ahead of things," Han chuckled softly. But it made him think back to an old crone he'd stumbled across once while incredibly intoxicated. She'd insisted on telling him of the future, and Han had dismissed her prediction out of hand. Hells, he'd barely remembered the encounter while battling one of the worst hangovers the following morning. But now he could hear her words clearly: _what you will not do for money, you will do for love._

What would I do for love, Han asked himself.

And the answer that came to him was: everything.

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Leia awakened many hours later. She had no idea how long she'd been out, but she realized that she hadn't slept so well since she'd become part of the Rebellion. She felt amazingly refreshed; it was an unfamiliar sensation and she welcomed it.

Leia realized that she was going to have to put her clothing through the valet; there'd been no time to grab her personal belongings from Hoth, and all she had were the clothes she'd been wearing. _Someday_, she told herself, _I'm going to have clothing that isn't white. _

She slowly opened the door and the smell of kaf wafted through the air. It smelled wonderful, far better than the brew that was served on the Rebel bases.

"Hey sweetheart," Han said, pouring a mug and handing it to her. "You sleep all right?"

"Better than I have in years," she admitted. She leaned up into him, tilting her head up as he leaned down to kiss her. "How about you?"

"I flew with Chewie for a while, then sent him on break. He's got his hammock set up in the aft cargo bay. The door's shut because you never want to hear a Wookiee snore."

"That bad, huh?" They kissed again. "Were you up all night?"

"Yeah. When Chewie wakes up, I'm gonna take a nap." The two sat at the holotable. Han casually draped his arm around Leia, and she set her free hand on his knee. He yawned before sipping more kaf.

Leia smiled after drinking some kaf. "This sure as hells beats the mess hall mud," she assured him. "Where do you shop, anyway?" she joked.

He gave her a lopsided grin. "I'm a smuggler, remember?"

"Then I probably shouldn't ask."

"Hey, it just fell off of somebody's ship," Han told her, giving him his best '_who, me_?' innocent look.

"That's probably what you tell everyone," Leia kidded him back.

"I tried it with the Imps a few times. Why do military types always have to be so suspicious?" Both laughed. It was as if they'd known each other all their lives at some level and felt remarkably comfortable together. Leia no longer felt naked or self-conscious sitting at the table, dressed in one of Han's old shirts and sleep pants. She was at ease with Han, and it was clear that despite his exhaustion, he was glad for her company and was relaxed. Leia had taken out her braids the night before and Han saw for the first time how long and silky her hair was, and ran his fingers lovingly through it.

Han yawned again. "I think it's time for a certain smuggler to catch some dreams," Leia told him gently, taking his free hand in hers.

"Looks that way." The couple stood up, and hugged each other. The heat that had sparked between them last night was intensifying, but Leia was still a bit skittish about acknowledging it, and, she told herself, having an exhausted pilot wouldn't be good for any of them.

They stood quietly again, kissing, embracing, just being in the moment. To both of them, the danger that surrounded them was forgotten. It was an intensely private and binding moment.

Just when they thought they were alone, a familiar voice popped up behind them.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Threepio asked.

"What makes you say that?" Han snapped at him.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir. I was just wondering if there is anything I can do for you?"

"Unless you can get the hyperdrive working, no," Han informed him.

"But sir, I've already informed you that you do not have the parts necessary for a repair," Threepio sighed.

"Yes, you have. Now if you'll excuse us," Han growled at him.

"Did you wake him up?" Leia asked him as Threepio left.

"I need his help with some repairs on the deflectors," Han said. "He did the work, and he wasn't making much useless noise, so I forgot how bad his sense of timing is."

"I'll deal with him," Leia said, laughing. "Is there anything else you need him to do?"

"Right now, I'm too tired to think," Han admitted. He was leaning as much on Leia as she was on him.

"You definitely need some sleep," Leia said, and they kissed again. "Go on, get to bed."

Han smiled rakishly at her. "You'll be in my dreams, sweetheart."

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{I didn't know you could pilot}, Chewie said to Leia as she asked to move into the right hand seat.

"My father taught me on his ship," Leia explained simply.

{You know how to navigate, then}?

"I know the basics."

{Does Han know this}?

"Not yet."

{He'll find out soon}. Chewie gave her a sly smile.

Leia nodded. "I doubt that I'm a good substitute for a first mate," she said in a tone best described as self-deprecating.

{That doesn't matter. I've never seen him this way before}.

"What way is that?" Leia asked cautiously.

{He's in love}.

Leia was utterly astounded. It took her a few minutes to stop feeling dizzy from all the emotions running through her. That stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerfherder was in love with her? She'd been hoping it was true, and now that it was confirmed, she felt her heart swell...and her stomach tighten in panic.

"You're serious," Leia said softly.

{Of course I am. You're the first woman he's ever been in love with}.

Leia blushed. But the heat she felt was anything but unpleasant.

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Leia had taken a break after a few hours. She tiptoed over to the captain's quarters and opened the door a small amount. There was just enough light to catch a glimpse of a sleeping Han.

Her heart melted. He was fast asleep, snoring lightly, and his face was that of a little boy's. She'd never have believed Han Solo could look like a complete innocent, but there it was. He was in a tangle of sheets, but he was uncovered from the waist up, revealing a muscular and beautiful chest that made her breath catch. It was taking all her wherewithal not to dart over and run her hands over it, but she remained in place, admiring the view. If there'd ever been a possibility of her being melted into a small puddle, this was it.

She thought he had a hot body when he was fully clothed, but it paled next to seeing the man without a shirt. If she'd been feeling warm before, she was now sweltering. Emotions ran riot through her. Part of her wanted to step inside and take him gently in her arms and holding him close, kissing him gently. And yet another part of her wanted to...well, something more intimate.

But Han needed sleep, she knew, and she wondered when he'd last gotten a good rest. She gently closed the door, headed for the 'fresher, and splashed some cold water on her face. She had a feeling that that wasn't going to work for long.

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Several hours passed. Leia and Chewie conversed for a while, and then lapsed into comfortable silence.

Leia knew she shouldn't disturb Han, but she couldn't resist. She said a quiet 'excuse me' to Chewie and headed for the captain's quarters, her stomach fluttering with both anticipation and not a little nervousness.

Again, she quietly pressed the release for the door. She was starting to feel like a voyeur and had almost wished she hadn't...

"Hey sweetheart," a sleepy voice called from the bed. "C'mon over here."

Leia felt a moment of panic. "I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm sorry."

Han gave her his trademark lopsided grin. "I was already awake and about to get up and see what you were doing. C'mon, have a seat."

Leia felt warm again, but this time, there was nothing terrifying about it. Han sat up as she took a seat on the bed. He pulled her in gently, wrapping his arm over her shoulder, and she placing one trembling hand on his bare chest.

In that moment, Neither Han nor Leia had never felt so loved, so cared for. They didn't need to speak. The sounds of their heartbeats said it all.


	4. Chapter 4

1

Chapter 4

Four days had passed without incident. The Empire rarely ventured out this far; there were no inhabited settlements this far beyond the Outer Rim. The only planets and planetoids were gas giants. But it did have the most incredibly beautiful stars Han and Leia had ever encountered.

Chewie had gone on break, and Han and Leia were relaxing in the cockpit, just gazing at the beautiful view. Not all of the stars had been mapped, and Han was working on that aspect as well. It enabled them to forget, even for a short while, that they were in a grave situation and navigation errors could be costly.

"It's really amazing out here," Leia said, watching the glow of stars around them. She remembered how much she loved looking out at the stars when she was a little girl. There was something magical about being outside at night, lying in the soft grass, amazed at the stars lighting up the sky.

"The most amazing part is that no Imperial ships followed us," Han said, allowing himself a moment of peace. He gently took Leia's tiny hand in his large one. He felt that it was just one more way in which they fit together. He gave it a gentle squeeze and was rewarded with a smile. Han loved watching her smile. She'd done so little of it since he'd first met her. But they were becoming more frequent. Not that four days was much of a baseline, but it was was becoming a trend.

The silence between them spoke of their becoming more comfortable with each other. Leia had always hated the goopy love scenes in holomovies, with their extended flowery language, which she scorned. Love, she believed, was about behaviors, about attention to and caring for one another. It was about finding a safe place in a galaxy fraught with dangers that were both emotional and physical.

An alarm sounded from the sensor readout. Han frowned.

"What is it?" Leia asked softly.

"Getting some indications of solar flares not too far ahead."

"I'm guessing that this isn't exactly good news," Leia responded.

"We've had better. I just don't exactly remember when," Han remarked dryly. He activated the comm to Chewie, who was taking a break in his hammock in the aft hold. It took several tries, but there was finally a response, albeit a very cross one.

"Solar flares coming up," Han told him. Chewie appeared quickly in the cockpit. Leia moved from the co-pilot chair to a passenger seat. Chewie examined the readout and was most displeased.

"We don't have visual yet," Han explained, "but they're getting closer."

{I remember last time we had solar flares. You were drunk}.

"I was not drunk. I was hung over! There's a difference!" Han snapped at his furry friend. "And, in case you don't remember, I got our asses out in one piece."

Leia couldn't help but chuckle a little, frightened though she was. Watching Han and Chewie was more often than not comical. And a little laughter, she'd discovered, went a long way toward whatever sanity she might still possess.

Enough had happened in less than five days to make her question just how much of that quality she still had.

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Gentle humor quickly gave way to intense concentration. The flares and the ensuing winds were forcing Han to diverge from the original navigation settings. The energy being released was a problem, but the part that was most difficult were the intense solar winds produced. The electromagnetism could be shielded against, but the solar winds were another story; they would buffet the small freighter about and possibly attempt to crush her fuselage.

Leia was grateful that Han had the skills he did. He may have been something of a braggart with regards to his piloting skills, but she recognized now that he hadn't overstated his credentials. For that, she was grateful beyond words. Chewie was also absorbed in what he was doing; Leia watched the two of them in action in order to distract herself. They communicated with very few words, and were completely tuned into each other, their smallest motions letting each other know what needed doing next.

Leia was terrified, and while Han and Chewie looked cool and in control, she sensed that they were as frightened as she was. Maybe more so.

"We're gonna hit some serious winds if we stay on this course," Han said

"What are our options?" Leia asked, trying not to let her voice shake.

"Well, we can try to go farther out, but that's gonna put us even further from any inhabited system," Han said. "No Imperials, but our supply situation's not great, the hyperdrive's blown, and it'll take even longer to reach Bespin, which is still the closest inhabited system."

"That doesn't sound too good," Leia said, placing her hand on Han's shoulder. Han felt a warm, tingling sensation where she touched him.

"The other alternative is to fly in closer to the Outer Rim. We risk running into some old friends, but they don't have as much of a presence there as in the Inner Rim or Core Worlds." Han hated having to make choices like these. "It's risky, but this is everyone's last chance to object. So speak now or forever hold your peace."

{Chewie shrugged}.

"You're the captain," Leia told him, trying to sound as calm as humanly possible.

"Thank you! I'm glad somebody finally realizes it!" Han said, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.

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Han and Chewie changed their navigation data to align themselves closer to the Outer Rim. Their plan was to avoid as many populated worlds as possible. Not that there were many of them, and the ones that existed could hardly be termed civilized. But nearly all of them had garrisons positioned on them and there were roving patrols.

It wasn't just the winds that were terror inducing. The solar flares gave off plasma, and if it was hot enough, it could swallow a ship and its occupants very quickly. And the intense energy could act as a vortex and have the same effect.

"We need to move in closer," Han said.

"Closer to the Rim," Leia echoed.

"Sorry, sweetheart, this isn't my idea of a good time, either."

Leia smiled wryly. "One thing I'll say for us: there's never a dull moment."

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Han and Chewie were able to negotiate the difficult route they'd set up, but the journey was far from easy. Despite their best efforts, they couldn't completely avoid the wind, and it was sufficiently ferocious to rattle the _Falcon _as if it were an infant's toy.

"It'll be all right," Han told Leia, trying to reassure himself as much as her. "She'll hold." Han then silently prayed, _You hear me, baby? Hold together. _

An alarm sounded. "Kriffing hells! The electromagnetic shield on port's down!" Han called out. "Sweetheart, we need Threepio!"

"I'm on it!" Leia responded, racing down the corridor. Threepio had done nothing but complain the entire voyage, and Leia, as well as Han, had found it tiresome, so she'd powered him down. Now she located the gold droid seated at the holotable and flipped him on.

"Oh my goodness, what happened to me?" Threepio said, his eyes flickering as he was powered up. "What is going on? What is all this rolling and pitching?"

"We've encountered solar flares and the port electromagnetic shield's damaged," Leia informed him. "We need to get on it right now!"

"Solar flares? Your Highness, the odds of surviving solar flares - "

"Never tell me the odds!" Leia shouted at him. "We need your help, and fast!"

"Of course, of course!" Threepio had been made to serve, and most of the time, he did it well. "What is it you need me to do?"

"Fix the port electromagnetic shielding," Leia told him. The ship pitched, hard, sending both Threepio and Leia falling to the floor. Leia slid across the surface, bumping her head on the holotable's pedestal. She didn't hit it hard; it was unlikely that she'd suffered any damage, although it was anything but pleasant.

"Oh no!" Threepio shouted. "Mistress Leia!"

"I'm fine!" Leia informed him. She might have a killer headache later, she knew, but this wasn't exactly the right time for it. She held on to the wall as she headed back to the cockpit.

"He's on it," Leia informed Han.

Han nodded. He didn't want to say it out loud, but there was a gas giant they were skimming, and there was a gravity well coming up. In his attempt to avoid the gravity well, sensors were showing something even less welcome.

It was an Imperial cruiser.

"Yeah, I see it, I see it," Han said to Chewie. _Our luck's holding, _he groaned inwardly.

"Oh, no," Leia said

He'd done the calculus of getting caught by a large Imperial patrol ship that was not far enough away for comfort versus skittering dangerously toward a large gravity well. He was pretty sure he'd get better odds chancing the gravity well.

"Stay sharp!" Han instructed Chewie.

"What's your strategy?" Leia asked, trying to keep her voice calm. The last thing that Han needed right now was a terrified woman.

"We can either take our chances with the cruiser or the gravity well coming up." As Han spoke, shots were fired from the cruiser and Han banked to avoid them. "I'm going with the gravity well." More shots were fired, but Han headed full on toward the gravity well. The wind increased in intensity, but finally, the cruiser was out of sight.

"You've done this before, haven't you?" Leia asked him.

"Done it a few times," Han said. He decided, wisely, not to add details, things like a certain crazy ex-girlfriend. Some things were better left unsaid for the rest of their mortal lives, which could end up being very short if he miscalculated even slightly.

As she had done earlier, Leia laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. She could feel the tension even with a light touch, and she made a decision. Assuming they all survived, Han was going to get a back massage.

Now all they had to do was get through all their problems alive and intact. At that moment, that was asking a lot.

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For the next six hours, the ship was whipped about. Threepio was able to somewhat repair the electromagnetic shield; it would hold, but barely.

Then, finally, the buffeting stopped. All three sentients and one grateful droid could barely believe it at first. Han dropped his head to the console.

{I'll reset our course} Chewie told him as he put the instructions into the navi-computer.

"Han." Leia walked up gently and placed her hand on his back and noticed that he was shaking.

"You all right, sweetheart?" Han asked her.

"I'm more worried about you," Leia told him tenderly.

"It's just adrenaline." He attempted to stand up from the pilot's chair but would have fallen down had Leia not grabbed on to him. He found himself leaning into her tiny figure that seemed to have superhuman strength. She placed one arm around his back and held his arm with the other. Not only was he shaking violently, but his shirt was soaked with sweat. "I'm fine."

"Sure you are," she said, one eyebrow arched. "I think you need to lie down for a bit." He still wobbled as she led him to the captain's quarter.

Han held on to her. "Only if you'll lie down next to me." He hadn't planned to say it; it had just come out. He really wanted her to. He wanted a lot more, but not until she was ready. He was feeling emotional and stressed out after more than nine standard hours of intense piloting and worrying about her. That had caused him more fear than any patrol cruiser, gravity well, or solar wind could. Those he could handle. And now he'd shot his mouth off.

Her answer was a tender smile. "Let's get you a clean shirt and your boots off. Do you think you can sit up?" Leia helped him to get situated on the bunk, and began to remove his spacer jacket. Sweat had seeped from his shirt on to the lining of the jacket. She'd have to run that through the valet as well. She then went to the drawers and located a clean shirt so that Han would spend as little time as possible being cold.

Leia thought back to somewhere around thirteen hours ago, when she'd gazed in on the sleeping Han and had admired him shirtless. Now she was unhooking the buttons of his soaked shirt, one by one, until she was ready to remove it.

"I'll make this as quick as possible, so you don't get chilled," Leia told him gently. She opened the shirt, and saw again the chest she'd so admired while he was sleeping and one she'd leaned against while he was waking up. It was a gorgeous chest and she could have gazed on it forever and cuddled up to it for even longer. Had it been up to her, she would have refused to put a shirt on him ever again. But he was shivering, and, she decided, it wasn't the time to engage in such thoughts. There was a powerful stirring in her, a want she was beginning to understand. But by the time she had finished buttoning his shirt, she, too, was ready to collapse from exhaustion.

"I think we'd best get your boots off," Leia told him.

She helped him stretch out on the bed and pulled at one boot, then the other. Then she pulled off her own, climbed in next to him, and wrapped her arms around him, cuddling him till he was calm again.

"Thank you," Han said to her, his voice weary. He was also thinking about Leia in the same way as she was him, but it had been a very long nine standard hours, and once the adrenaline wore off, the only thing he was really able to do was sleep for a while.

It tended to be chilly aboard the _Falcon, _but neither had ever felt so warm and comfortable. Within minutes, both were sound asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

1

Chapter 5

Han's eyelids fluttered as he began to awaken. He wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep, but he was immediately aware of the tiny princess curled around him, her arm draped over his waist. It brought a smile to his lips. He shifted around so that he could look at her and hold her close to his heart.

She murmured as he drew her to his chest, and he planted soft kisses on her head. Her beautiful face was peaceful in repose, but she began to wake up in response to his gentle kisses and strong embrace. A soft smile crossed her lips. "Hey sleepyhead," he said, his voice a low and soft silk and gravel.

"How're you feeling?" she asked quietly.

Han wasn't quite sure how to answer that. Oh, he was feeling quite a bit that's the first thing that came to my mind, you might think of something different., all right. His heart was beating rapidly, his breath was starting to catch, and he was flooded with both tenderness and desire for her.

Leia wasn't oblivious to his state of arousal; she found herself in a similar, delightful and frightening predicament: she wanted this man in the most primal sense of the word. She brought her lips up to his, and they kissed, gently. But both wanted more. There was a second kiss, and a third, each one orders of magnitude more searing than the last. Each pulled the other close as they could be still clothed.

"Han," Leia whispered to him. She began to unbutton his shirt; this time her hands were steadier than they'd been a few hours ago. Han moaned with pleasure as she released more and more of the buttons, the fabric finally falling away and revealing his beautiful chest. His skin was surprisingly soft, and his chest hairs were as fine as Alderaanian shimmersilk. She delicately ran her fingers along it, pleasuring in watching his reactions.

"Leia," Han murmured. He ran his hands up her back, luxuriating in the feel of her soft, creamy skin, his hands wandering to the clasp of her bra, which he opened with one hand. He massaged her back, listening to her give little whimpers of pleasure. Soon she could feel his fingers gently squeezing one of her nipples, and she cried out softly with pleasure. Han, encouraged by her reaction, explored its twin. She loved the feel of his hands on her, how easily he pleasured her.

It was clear that they were both hungry for each other, longed to take in more of each other's bodies and spirits.

"This is getting in the way," Han's whisper rumbled as he began to remove Leia's thermal shirt. She willingly accepted his gesture, helping to get rid of the offending garment as quickly as possible. Her bra easily slid down her arms and Han gazed at her.

He'd never seen anyone or anything so beautiful as what was before him now. Her skin had a rosy glow to it, her nipples were taut and swollen. He moved gently on top of her and could have stayed there and looked at her forever.

"I have to tell you something," Leia said, some anxiety in her eyes.

"What is it?" Han mumbled as he nibbled on her ear.

"I've...I'm a virgin." Leia felt her blush deepening.

Han gazed at her and smiled. "I don't see that as a problem." He lowered his head so that they could gaze lovingly upon each other. "In fact, it's kinda special. I won't do anything you don't want me to. I want this to be wonderful for you. But I have to ask you something."

"Go ahead," she said, her voice husky.

"Are you..." Han was trying to phrase it delicately. "Are you using anything for contraception?"

Leia smiled. "I am. I got an implant. Right before our last trip to Ord Mantell." She stroked his stubbly face. She'd rarely ever seen him anything but clean shaven; the last time was when they were back on Hoth and he'd taken ill. "I think my body was trying to tell me something."

"I'm glad it did," Han said, kissing her on the forehead. "Especially since mine's been telling me the same thing. For about three years now." He flashed his lopsided grin that she loved ever so much. He was anything but perfect, and for Leia, that was perfection. They kissed again, each one more intimate than the last, having waited for so long. Neither could drink in enough of each other.

Han's hands were cradling Leia's posterior firmly. "Do you know what I think?" he said quietly, his breath catching.

"That our clothes are getting in the way?" Leia said impishly.

"Great minds think alike," Han assured her. He rolled to her side and began working the zipper of her bibs. He could tell Leia loved the feel of him removing them, slowly and seductively. Han could barely believe that this beautiful princess was lying in his bunk. She was tiny, but he loved that. And she was offering herself to him. He was wondering if he was dreaming the entire event, but the best dreams didn't even come close to realizing how soft her skin was, creamy and flawless.

She smiled at him and he leaned in for another kiss, one that lasted a very long time.

"My turn," Leia rasped. "I want to see all of you." She began working the zipper to his bloodstripes, feeling the entire length of him nearly bursting out. His moans were sweet music to her ears.

Her aunts would tell her that the first time was painful and awkward. Then again, she thought, a smile curving her lips, they'd never been with Han Solo.

Skin to skin now, they explored one another, slowly and tenderly, finding out what each one liked best. For Han, one thing became clear: in the past, he'd had good sex and not an insignificant amount of it. But this was different. Now he understood what 'making love' meant. And it was richer and more fulfilling than any intimate encounter he'd ever had.

All because he, Han Solo, smuggler, pirate, mercenary...had fallen in love with Leia Organa. A princess and a guy like him...who'd have thought?

Leia felt as if she'd been taken to a beautiful sunlit place, safe in Han's muscular arms, his strong body, and the passion that filled those green-gold eyes gazing upon her. Han had been right: she'd been so busy being a princess that she hadn't learned how to be a woman. But now, she was learning fast and enjoying every moment and apparently, so was Han.

Neither had ever imagined so fully giving of themselves to another. And yet here they were, having never felt so alive as now. Each felt electricity in the other's every touch, every kiss. Their hands traveled over each other as if exploring a new universe of joy, one previously unknown to them, one that shimmered with light and heat.

"Leia," Han murmured, his breath hitching hard, "Leia. Do you...do you want me inside of you?"

Leia gave him a beatific smile. "I would love nothing more."

"I'll go slow. If it hurts or anything, just tell me and I'll slow down or stop." He gently positioned himself for access. Leia was relaxed as he probed gently, not entering her just yet, their arms holding each other, lips touching. Han moved slowly forward. Leia gave a brief gasp at first, experiencing a nanosecond of sharpness, but it gave way to intense pleasure, the likes of which she'd never known. Han, too, found that being in love with the woman in his arms made the experience new for him. For both, it was being born into the man and woman they were meant to be. There was a joining, a blurring of the lines that made them a single entity and drove both of them to heights of pleasure they had not known possible. The whispers and moans and cries came out as they peaked, a song that only they knew.

Both were out of breath and there was a sheen of sweat coating them and they glistened in the pale light of the room. Leia's head was over Han's heart and he clasped her closely with one arm around her. He touched her lips with his finger.

"That was...amazing," Leia said to him when she'd regained the power of speech.

"I think this has been the best day of my life," Han told her softly.

"I could go along with that," Leia said. "But don't tell anyone we agreed with each other. We've got a reputation to uphold." Both laughed and then gently drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

THE ART OF LOVE

Chapter 6

It had been a few days since the solar flare, the winds, and having an Imperial patrol cruiser try to take them out. No hazards were nearby, and once again, Han and Leia were seated in the cockpit, gazing out at the scenery. Han had put the _Falcon _on autopilot for a while.

"I have to admit to something," Leia said, a smile on her face.

"If this is the 'let's just be friends' routine, I'm not interested," Han said to her, his brow furrowed in worry. Leia noticed it.

"Han, please, I think we're way beyond that!" Leia laughed. "If you think you can get rid of me that easily, you are so far off that you're not even wrong!"

"So what is it?" Han asked her, his expression relaxed a bit. "Are you pregnant?" He said it with a sly smile.

Leia burst out laughing. "I think not!"

"Yes, but do you want to be?" Han asked her with just a touch of seriousness. That made Leia laugh even harder.

"Flyboy, you crack me up sometimes," Leia said, tears starting to come from her eyes. Han had never seen her laugh as much as he had on this trip. He loved it. He worried that when they had to rendezvous with the fleet, she might lose her smile and laughter. She'd never been so relaxed in the entire time he'd known her. "No, I was going to say, and I know it sounds ridiculous, because it is, but I wish this trip would last forever." Her laughter was replaced with a wistful expression.

"In some ways, I wish it would, too," Han said, taking her hand in his and rubbing it gently. "No bounty hunters, no Imperials, no war. Just us."

Leia smiled. "It would be nice. Unfortunately, getting food, supplies and weapons delivered is rough when you're this far out in space." She gave him a brilliant smile. "And thanks for the portable foot wells." Han had fashioned some foot wells so that if Leia needed to pilot, she'd be able to reach the controls operated by foot. He'd discovered that Leia was not a bad pilot at all, and watching her operate the controls was incredibly arousing for him.

It seemed to Han that everything Leia did was sexy. He realized that one of the things that attracted him most was her capability to deal with nearly any situation thrown her way. She had her own story, her own strengths, and her own style of doing things. Her independent spirit had attracted him from the moment she'd forced him, Luke and Chewie into the trash masher. He had been irritated as hell at her bossiness, but he admired her spirit. He noticed how pretty she was, even with the godsawful hairdo she was wearing at the time. And the hug when they were safe from being smashed into two-dimensional figures, well, it tingled. A lot. Fortunately, . he knew he had to leave to pay off Jabba, so there'd be no complications. He could forget about her and move on. Except that he couldn't forget about her and moving on. He wasn't interested in that anymore.

And even if he'd tried, Chewie wasn't about to let him off the hook.

Chewie! He'd completely lost track of the time. But for some reason, it seemed that he'd been gone longer than usual.

"Sweetheart, how long's it been since Chewie went on break?" Han asked Leia.

Leia, too, seemed as if she'd just realized that the 'walking carpet' who'd turned out to be an excellent friend was missing in action.

"I'm not sure. But it seems as if he's usually back before we're ready for him," Leia said, frowning.

"I know. But we're fine right now, and he's been doing a lot of the heavy lifting," Han said. "He deserves some extra snooze time."

"I agree. How much longer can we stay on autopilot?"

Han checked the readouts. "Two hours at most. We're coming up on a star that's possibly going nova about that time. I don't know that it will, but I might have to do a course correction to get around it. I'm sure Chewie'll be up by then. Although I gotta say, your dad taught you well." Han was truly impressed by the fact that she understood piloting far better than he imagined she did. "Was there anything he didn't teach you?"

Leia smiled wistfully. Han knew she missed her father very much. He wondered if not knowing about his parents was a better fate.

"Well...he never told me what to expect when I found love," she said softly.

Han felt himself grow warm, knowing that she was talking about him. She was changing him in ways she didn't even realize. Not that he'd ever lose his edge; neither ever would, and perhaps that was why they were so attracted to one another.

"Well, no one ever taught me, either," Han said, giving her a warm smile. "I have to tell you a story, though. One night, and I was so drunk that I can't even remember which planet we were on at the time, there was this ancient crone who kept calling after me. She said she'd tell my fortune. I wasn't really in the mood for it; I'd had so much Corellian rum that everything was swaying. But she was a persistent nag, so I said, fine."

"So what'd she say?"

"She said, what I won't do for money, I'll do for love. I think she might've been on to something." Leia noticed he was looking down at his hands, which was a gesture he employed when he was uncertain.

"So what would you do for love?" Leia asked, her tone shy instead of teasing.

Han looked over at her, his face wearing a soft, gentle expression.

"Anything and everything."

"Does that include dinner? I'm hungry," Leia said, chuckling.

"It definitely includes dinner. Let's go put something together while we can stay on autopilot."

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Han and Leia made dinner together. She was determined to learn to cook and he was determined to teach her. And, it was a lot of fun.

Both were nearly done with their meal when Han noticed Chewie hadn't emerged. Chewie could smell meat from kilometers away, and if he was resting, the aroma would draw him right out.

"I'm wondering what's up with Chewie," Leia said, and Han jumped a little. It was as if she was reading his mind.

"Yeah, me too. I think I'm gonna go in and check on the big lug," Han said to her.

"I've got the dishes," Leia told him. "I hope he's okay."

"Well, we're just about to find out."

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Han entered the aft hold, home to Chewie's sleep hammock.

"Chewie? Chewie!" Han sounded alarmed.

Chewie opened his blue eyes, and gave an annoyed growl.

"Are you okay?" Han asked him.

{I'm fine! I was tired! Am I late to go on watch}?

"No, you're fine," Han told him. "But we're coming up on some heavy weather in a little under two hours, so enjoy it while you can."

{I plan on it}.

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"He's fine," Han announced to Leia, who was putting away the last of the dishes. "Just tired. And grouchy."

"He does do a lot of the heavy lifting," Leia reminded him gently.

"Yeah, sometimes I think I take advantage of him. Which I shouldn't," Han said to her.

"He takes his life-debt seriously," Leia assured him. "But I agree: it can be so easy to take for granted those we love."

Han stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "I don't think I could take you for granted."

Leia leaned into him, her hands touching his arms. He leaned over and kissed her behind her ear, the latest of her erogenous zones he'd discovered. She smiled and laughed softly.

"You never give up, do you, Flyboy?"

"Nope. We've got a little time till we have to go off autopilot." He kissed her again and let his hands roam over the curve of her hips. "Whaddya say?"

"I say we haven't had dessert. And we should."

"Definitely."

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Han lay on his back, catching his breath. Leia's head was on his heart, and she sighed happily as she felt both of theirs slowing down in unison.

"Dessert was delicious," Leia told Han as he wrapped his arm languidly over her back. "Even better than chocolate covered camby berries." She smiled. "I noticed you're not one for sweets." It was rare that sweet treats appeared at any of the Rebellion's bases. When they had turned up, Han had eschewed them, and for whatever reason, Leia had early noticed that unless it was something with kavasa fruit, he'd pass on it.

"I like sweet things I can hold in my arms," Han told her, grinning.

"Hmm. Where do you think you'll find one of those?" Leia teased.

"It'd have to be a pretty big kavasa. But I'll settle for an Alderaanian princess," Han kidded her back, his hand now settled on her lower back.

They heard footsteps from outside of the captain's quarters. "Sounds like Chewie's awake."

"I'm guessing he wasn't too happy when you looked in on him earlier."

"Not exactly, but at least he didn't claw me to ribbons. Though I think he's been tempted sometimes."

Leia chuckled. "What, someone annoyed with you? Impossible!"

"Very funny."

"Of course I am." One of the nicest things he'd discovered about Leia was that in fact she had a great sense of humor and it resembled his. She was considered to be cold and humorless by many of their fellow fighters, but Han found that when they were together, she was anything but.

"I think we'd better get decent," Han said, a tinge of disappointment in his voice. "We don't have much time before we're gonna have to pilot for real."

"If you mean putting clothes on, yes," Leia said to him, her grin wicked. "As for getting decent, I don't think that's possible for you."

"Thank you very much!" Han responded sarcastically, but smiling with delight. "I had no idea you held me in such high esteem!"

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The two returned to the cockpit. Chewie had already taken over the copilot's chair Han taking the left-hand seat, Leia taking the flight engineer's chair.

{About time you got back}, Chewie said in a sulky tone to Han.

"Jealous, are we?" Han said, but his snark had a gentle undertone. "You know, you can go to see Malla and Lumpy anytime you like."

{My job is here}, Chewie responded, not altogether happily. {Someone has to watch out for you}.

"I hear that," Leia responded, which made Chewie laugh. She'd been around Chewbacca long enough that she was able to make out most of what he spoke.

But then Chewie became serious. {May I speak with you in private, Your Highness?}

"Of course," Leia said softly. They headed for the lounge, where they could both sit comfortably.

"No kissing the Wookiee!" Han shouted after them. Both Leia and Chewie laughed as they sat in the lounge.

Leia took one of Chewie's massive paws into her tiny hands.

"I just want you to know how much I appreciate all of your help," she told him softly.

{I give it freely. As you are now with Han as your mate, I must protect you, too. The last three years have been hard. And seeing you as my cub's mate, it makes me long for my Malla so very much}.

Leia gave Chewie a gentle smile. "Thanks, Chewie. That's a very long time not to see the person you love most. I hope you've forgiven me for calling you a walking carpet."

{That was so long ago. Do not worry about it}.

"I wanted to say how much I appreciate your contributions to our cause. And for looking after Han who, much as he would never admit it, would be lost without you."

{It is my honor to care for you both. But it has been difficult lately. I am very tired and homesick}.

"I know you must be," Leia said gently. "We should probably get back." The two returned to the cockpit.

{And how could I not like someone who puts up with him}? He flicked a paw in Han's general direction and howled with laughter.

"What is this, pick on the captain day?" Han asked irritably.

"That's every day," Leia said, smirking. Chewie was clearly amused.

"Laugh it up, fuzzball!" Han retorted. His fellow passengers laughed out loud. Leia remembered the day he'd said that to Chewie, the day Luke was thawing out after nearly freezing to death. Han had saved him from that fate. It had softened her opinion of him – at least until he said that Leia had shared her true feelings for him while they were in the South Passage.

Leia had never told him that his words were dead on, nor did she feel that it was necessary. She was quite sure that Han knew it.

The lighthearted atmosphere in the cockpit ended abruptly. Han looked at his readings and the visual.

"Kriffing hells! That star wasn't in the charts, and it's going supernova!"


	7. Chapter 7

1

Chapter 7

"What's your plan?" Leia asked Han.

"Getting away from this as quickly as possible," Han told her. He had no idea how. With the hyperdrive unavailable, it was going to be a difficult escape. He mentally began calculating how far and how fast they'd have to travel to get away from it. There was no way how they'd escape it completely, but they had to move out of its direct path. The heat was the dangerous part: the _Falcon_ could shield against a substantial quantity of radiation: Han had equipped her with military grade radiation shielding. But if they came too close, they'd most likely burn up. Burning up was not on Han's agenda. He liked living quite a bit, especially since he discovered that even a cynic like himself could, in fact, find love.

"Leia," Han turned to her, any vestige of a smile having vanished from his face. He had to be a captain right now. "We need Threepio. I think we've got a bad sensor, at least one." It had shown up as a white dwarf on scanning, but it was something much more treacherous. "Get him to examine the sensors and if they need repairing, I need to know. Now would be good."

"I'm on it," Leia said to him, placing her hand softly on Han's shoulder. She'd been giving Threepio many rest periods, knowing how much he annoyed Han. But that was, clearly, going to have to change; things were going wrong with the ship, and it was going to require continuous monitoring. He'd have to put up with 'Goldenrod' from this point on.

Leia returned shortly. "He's going to check the sensors," she said, trying to maintain her cool demeanor.

"Chewie, turn the ship around," Han instructed him. "Set our coordinates for our location four standard hours back. Leia, you're in the pilot's seat." He was aware that she was frightened. Hells, they all were. But one of the things Han admired most about Leia was her ability to rise to the occasion, however difficult it might be.

{What's that gonna do for our fuel calculations?}, scolded Chewie.

"We always build it in. We'll be all right." Secretly, it made Han a bit nervous. They were fine for the moment, but that could abruptly change. The tourmaline crystals, which powered the ion engines, weren't critically low, but they weren't unlimited. If they were to run out, they'd have nothing short of a disaster on their hands.

He wasn't going to let that happen. The woman he loved and the best friend he ever had weren't going to die on his watch. If someone had to go, it was going to be him.

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Han went down into the repair bay for the sensors, where Threepio had plugged himself into the controls.

"What's wrong now?" Han snapped, more out of nervousness than irritation. Not that he cared what Threepio considered with regards to his behavior right now. Threepio had always despaired of both Han and Chewie; they'd always been risk takers. They'd take the most dangerous routes, engage in the wildest aerobatics, anything that was a challenge, they were up for it.

But that was before love made itself real in the form of Princess Leia Organa. As he was trying to figure out how to solve a problem, his first thought was, _I have to keep Leia safe_.

And right now, the only thing he could do was to fix the kriffing ship.

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"Sir, I seem to be having difficulty locating the specific sensors affected," Threepio told Han as he and Chewie went to the circuitry bay. Each carried a tool crib, ready to work.

"You'd better start working faster," Han snapped at him. "We're all gonna be dead in a hurry if you don't."

"I would have an easier time if your ship didn't have multiple nonstandard forms of communication," Threepio said in a weary voice.

"You always brag about being fluent in over six billion –"

"Six million," Threepio said with some irritation. "And I am doing the best I can, sir."

Chewie warbled at Han softly. {Cub, we all want to protect the princess}.

Han looked at him, concern etched into his face. "Am I that obvious?"

{Yes}.

Han felt his face grow warm and instead of a snappy retort, he seemed to struggle to find the words to express himself, but Threepio chimed in before it became obvious.

"I've isolated the sensors that need repairing!" Threepio said in triumph.

"How many are we talking about?" Han asked him, relieved to be on familiar ground. The problem with the sensors was that the ship literally had hundreds of them.

"Twenty-three, sir," Threepio informed him.

Han turned to Chewie. "I don't know how we're gonna get out of this one."

{We have been in worse}.

"It's different now."

Chewie simply nodded as the two began frantically working on the sensor controllers.

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Leia generally enjoyed piloting, but this was anything but entertaining. She was backtracking per Han's instructions and wished she'd had more practice on the _Falcon_ before this point. And now she understood why he wore gloves when flying. Her palms felt slick and she was constantly rubbing her hands on her bibs.

The difficulty in handling the _Falcon_ was due to the fact that Han had modified her to be extremely nimble. And it was a much larger ship than her father's had been. To look at the tramp freighter, no one would guess how maneuverable she was. The ship was designed for Han's experienced reflexes, not her minimal knowledge of piloting. She'd always secretly respected Han's piloting skills, how his hands would perform an intricate ballet of hand movements, incredibly graceful. His large hands seemed to be at odds with their delicate movements, but she'd had an opportunity to learn what else he could do with them. She knew that he'd been in the Imperial Navy; most of the Rebellion's senior military minds had held such positions. And according to Han's records, his skills were remarkable even for the Navy.

Right now, she was worried about Han. He was, above all, capable and competent, but he seemed more stressed out than usual over this latest development. What she wanted to do was to take him in her arms and hold him close, murmuring that everything would be all right. His touch was reassuring to her, and she hoped hers would do the same for him. Han possessed an overpowering masculinity and she was surprised by how much she'd enjoyed the feeling of being taken in by that. Nice, too, were his values. He'd always given her the sense that he'd be a male chauvinist Bantha, but in him, masculinity took on the qualities of caring, tenderness, protectiveness, attentiveness. They still verbally sparred; it was part of the sheer fun of loving Han Solo. He was smart and funny. She'd met men who were funny and men who were smart, but they tended towards shallowness in both areas. Being a member of the royal family, there were always plenty of young men eager to win the princess's hand in marriage. Leia had found all of them ridiculous and/or repugnant.

Above all, Han was real. He may have engaged in a life of crime, but he never pretended otherwise or made excuses. And his loyalty to those he cared about was beyond reproach. Luke wouldn't have survived without Han Solo heading out to defy the odds. He'd stood by her during the trouble in retrieving credits from one of her father's accounts on Ord Mantell. He'd taken care of her when she was sick.

And while others called her the Ice Princess and some less flattering nicknames behind her back, Han would only taunt her to her face.

Leia finally had to admit it to herself: she was in love with Han Solo. That was both wonderful and terrifying at the same time. She was trying to keep herself focused on him in order not to be frightened about the situation they were facing. If they somehow managed to get out of this alive, she was never going to let him go.

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Repairing the sensors was proving to be very difficult. Chewie was frustrated and and even Han was having a hard time keeping his cool. They could easily be blasted into space dust, and quite honestly, at least in Han's estimation, that did not seem very romantic.

Threepio was not being as helpful as Han would have liked, but he didn't dare shut the droid down; he had to do whatever needed to be done and Threepio was a necessary evil. If the prissy droid managed to help them get through this, Han would never badmouth him again.

Han had strong survival instincts, and they'd never been as strong as they were now. Because they weren't just about him anymore.

Love had changed everything, especially him.


	8. Chapter 8

THE ART OF LOVE

Chapter 8

Han and Chewie had made all the repairs that were possible with the supplies they had on hand.

"It's as good as it gets for now," Han said, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his shirt sleeve. "Anything else has to wait till Bespin. Chewie, let's keep her on autopilot for a while."

Chewie set the controls and retreated. Han could tell that the big Wookiee was bone tired, and he couldn't blame him.

Han headed to the lounge with Leia.

"Sweetheart, you did great," Han told her.

"I'm just glad we're past it."

"I know, but it got kinda hairy there for a while," Han conceded. He noticed that Leia's hands were still shaking. "How about a glass of Emera wine?

"I don't think I've ever been so happy to hear those words," Leia said She scanned Han with her eyes. He was covered with oil, his hair was standing up, and the dark circles under his eyes had their own dark circles.

He still looked dashingly handsome. Not that she was going to admit it right then and there.

To Han, she looked pale and drawn, which was normal for what they'd just been through. And if truth be told, Han wasn't looking any better.

"How quickly can you pour that wine?" Leia's voice was a little shaky but her sense of humor hadn't left her.

Han grabbed a clean glass and filled it. "That fast enough, sweetheart?"

Leia pondered for a moment. "Almost."

Han grabbed an ale from the diminishing contents of the chiller. He popped the bottle top and raised his ale to Leia's wine.

"_Slainte_," Han said, repeating an ancient toast. Leia smiled and took a large gulp of her wine. "Hey, take it easy, honey. You know you're a lightweight in the intoxicating beverage department."

"Sloppy drunk isn't something that works for me, true," Leia conceded.

"It takes a certain type of person to pull that off," Han conceded, laughing.

"I've seen you hung over," Leia chuckled.

"That last sabacc game with the Rogues. That was a revelation," Han said.

"And what was that revelation?"

Han looked somewhat quizzical. "Something like it's not as much fun as it used to be."

Leia smiled at him. "Getting old, Flyboy?" Her tone was teasing.

"No. But maybe I need to grow up a little."

In the past, that would have had Leia shooting wine through her nose, but now she just smiled gently. For Han to have made a personal revelation such as that showed her just how much he already had grown up. And how much he trusted her. She felt warm all over, and it wasn't just the wine, although that was certainly helping.

"Sometimes growing up is overrated," Leia remarked quietly.

"Well, you were a senator at fifteen. Probably didn't give you a chance to do things kids that age do." Han sat down next to her and draped his arm over Leia's shoulder.

"I used to be jealous of my friends, who attended school instead of having tutors, who could play outside while I was inside learning protocols, and being able to have dinner without being dressed up," Leia admitted. "Don't get me wrong. My adoptive parents were very loving. But they had very high expectations." She smiled wistfully. "I miss them. But I don't miss having my hair braided so tight that I felt my face was being stretched!"

Leia laughed, and Han was relieved to see her do so.

"You know when I saw you for the first time?" Han asked her.

"When you decided to go on a well-intended but poorly planned rescue?"

"Hey, that was Luke's idea! But no, I saw you when you were about five. You were sitting on your dad's lap, wearing a white dress and braids."

"The canned greeting?"

"Yep. You were wearing white already. Didn't you ever get to wear other colors?"

"I did, but for state events, I wore white. So I wore it a lot."

"I'm not complaining. You look good in it. But you probably look good in anything. Including nothing at all." Han gave Leia a naughty wink, his eyes full of mischief. "Especially nothing at all."

"Is there ever a moment when you don't think about sex?" Leia teased.

"Sure. Just not since I met you." Both burst into laughter.

Han and Leia were both thinking, this is nice. It was like coming home after a bad day at work, sharing a drink, and just joking and talking and laughing. For now, the problems that the future held seemed very, very far away.

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Han and Leia remained in the lounge, relaxing as they made their way toward Bespin. There were no storms on the horizon, no flaming gas balls, just darkness and starlight.

"I'm curious," Han said to Leia, breaking their comfortable silence. "Did you ever misbehave?"

He was expecting Leia to say that, no, she never had the time to. But her eyes lit up with a glint of mischief.

"Oh yes," she said, giggling.

"So what does a princess do to misbehave?" Han grinned at her.

"Well, when you have state dinners, one of the most important things is that you plan seating carefully. You have to know who hates whom and what each being's food preferences, along with knowing what foods made what beings susceptible to nausea, so they had to be kept apart. At a small dinner, this isn't difficult. But when you start talking eighty to a hundred sentients, it becomes an art form. My mother had mastered the art of it early on; like me, she was trained to be a public servant, albeit with a different emphasis. Smaller dinners were the most common, anywhere from eight to twenty people."

"Too many for my tastes," Han commented dryly.

"Well, this particular dinner was scheduled to include one hundred and twenty beings from throughout the galaxy. My mother would draw up the seating chart, and then pass it along to the chef. As I've mentioned, our chef was not exactly the most pleasant person and would grumble incessantly. I was ten at the time and all I wanted was to have some fun. I asked my parents if I could be excused from the dinner, but they said no, I needed to watch and learn.

"My mother was very busy – she was the minister of education and that was not just a ceremonial title; it meant she really never got a break. She asked me to take the seating chart to Chelbi. I said I would, but before I did, I went to my chambers and did a little work of my own."

"You changed everyone's name," Han guessed.

"I did, but not their food preferences. Chelbi had done this for so long that she didn't really pay attention to the names as much as what foods went to what chair." Leia's eyes were sparkling now. Han had never seen her look so young. There was definitely still a ten year old trapped inside the uber adult that was the princess. "Well, you can imagine the results." She laughed.

"So how did your parents react to that?" Han wondered, liking what he was hearing.

"You can only imagine. My father wasn't the sort to raise his voice, but he definitely made an exception for this. And my mother was mortified, of course."

"So what was your punishment?" Han asked. "They didn't beat you, I hope?"

"No, my parents had worked to make corporal punishment a crime, so that wasn't their way. My punishment was to make up seating charts for every state dinner for the following year." Leia's laughter pealed throughout the lounge. "So while I still can't cook, I can do a mean seating chart."

"Your cooking's improving," Han said diplomatically.

"The only direction it could go was better," Leia reminded him, laughing.

"And you haven't cut or burned yourself in over a week," Han added. Leia shadow punched him on the shoulder.

"You're hilarious, Flyboy," Leia said, but her dry humor was interspersed with laughter.

They were quiet again for a few minutes. Leia debated on asking, but she'd shared so many of her experiences growing up with Han. She knew that he'd been orphaned early on in life, and had graduated from the Imperial Academy with honors, and that he'd traveled under various aliases for a long time, and that he'd been arrested more than a few times. But that didn't tell her much about how the man who was Han Solo came to be.

Han noticed her fidgeting and spoke softly. "Is there some deep dark secret you haven't told me that you're worrying about?"

"No, nothing like that. I...never mind."

"No, c'mon, talk to me," Han coaxed her. "You know you can tell me anything."

"I was...I was wondering why you never talk about when you were young," she asked, her cheeks flushing. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask–"

Han shrugged. "Not a lot to tell. I was orphaned as a toddler, taken in by one of the great sociopaths of the galaxy, learned to pilot swoops, made a lot of money for the bastard, and finally escaped when I was eighteen. By then I was a good pilot, and I'd found an ad requesting piloting services. I got the job. My goal was to enter the Imperial Academy, and it helped me get the credits to do just that. I suspect you know that part."

Leia said in a small voice that she did.

"Does that bother you?" Han asked her.

"If it bothered me, we wouldn't have any leaders for the Rebellion. They're all ex-Imperial military," Leia reminded him. "And even before I knew, I figured you'd had military training. Nobody shoots the way you do without serious training."

"You know I was cashiered out, then. But even before that, I was wondering if this was really going to be a lifelong career. I found the Navy a bit, well, constraining. And a lot of the clowns in charge were clueless and petty. I was thinking that I would leave with an honorable discharge and go to work for myself, set up a shipping business of some sort."

"I know you were discharged for failure to obey a direct order," Leia admitted. "That must have been when you refused to beat and skin Chewie." Leia held up her hand. "That's what he told me, not what I read. I have to admire that."

"I wish more would have," Han said. "No legitimate organization was going to hire me. So I took up smuggling. It was kind of a natural outgrowth of my career as a thief." He grinned, but it was a sad sort of one. "Not that smuggling was all bad. Met some great people along the way, some women I liked, had some great fun playing sabacc and ale pong and sonic billiards, which I usually won and it helped increase my pay considerably."

"I like sonic billiards," Leia piped up. "My father and I used to play."

"You any good?" Han teased.

"Ask Wedge Antilles," she smirked.

"Maybe I'll just take him on instead," Han said, grinning.

"He's a lot like you," Leia told him.

"As in dashing and handsome?" Han joked with her.

"Well, he is nearly as arrogant as you are."

"I'll be sure to humiliate him next time I see him," Han said, smirking.

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Both had been laughing and talking so much that they'd now just finished their first drinks. "Want another?" Han asked Leia, taking her glass.

"I can handle another one." Han poured hers and grabbed another ale for himself. They raised their beverages.

"To good times gone and for even better times to come," Leia pronounced.

"I like that."


	9. Chapter 9

,THE ART OF LOVE

Chapter 9

Han was down in the hydraulics bay. This time it wasn't a stabilizer, a sensor, or any other hardware critical to the functioning of the _Falcon_. This time, the water shower was nonfunctional. He and Leia had been ready to get cleaned up, as they were only approximately eight hours out from Bespin's orbit. Of all the mechanical problems they'd encountered, this was the one that irritated him most. Han had turned on some music to keep him going and to keep Leia and Chewie from hearing him swear in all of the eleven languages he was fluent in. As loud as the music was, it didn't drown him out completely.

Leia was in the cockpit with Chewie. "Maybe I should give Han some help," Leia said to Chewie.

{Are you sure you want to do that? He's in a really bad mood}.

"I think I can handle it," Leia assured him, and headed for the hydraulic controls bay.

Han was lying on the ground, trying to remove a latch that was clearly getting the better of him.

"Anything I can do to help?" Leia shouted above the music.

"What?" Han called out irritably.

"I asked if I can help you!"

Han turned over to look at her. He paused his portable music player and looked up at Leia. "Please tell me we're not about to run into a gas giant, because it's not a good time."

"I came down to see if you needed a hand," Leia said evenly.

"I don't know, but you're welcome to try," Han said to her. "I'm not getting anywhere." He tossed a wrench to the floor, and it hit with a clang. "Stick your hand down here," he said, showing Leia the location.

Her hands were smaller than Han's and slid into the space easily. "Now what?" She asked him.

"There's a rod there that needs to be pulled out," Han told her. "It's thin, and it breaks easily, so be careful."

"I think I have it," Leia said.

"Okay, take it out, easy," Han said to her. "Go slow."

"It's jammed in here pretty tight," Leia told him. "But I think I can get it."

As she worked, Han took his portable music player and pressed several buttons.

"I know you like dirty rude boy music," Leia told him, "but I'm not going to be able to hear you if you crank it up."

"I like other types as well," Han told her. "I've always loved music. What about you?"

"I was exposed to a lot of music," Leia said to him, gently drawing on the recalcitrant rod. "I haven't listened in a long time, though."

"I actually have some Alderaanian music," he told her.

"Not today," Leia said, finally extracting the rod. "I'm not in the mood to start crying."

"I can find something you like," Han said to her. He thumbed the controls and finally came to something far removed from what he'd been listening to before.

To Leia's surprise, the selection he'd chosen was a romantic one. It wasn't Alderaanian, but it was one she'd liked for many years. It was at its peak of popularity the summer before she became a member of the Imperial Senate.

"So what do you need me to do now?" Leia asked Han. Han took the rod from her, set it on the ground, and took her hand, bringing her to her feet. "How about this?" He took her hands in his. "And I know you can dance." The two began to move about the bay, their feet in harmony, and smiled at each other, Han singing the lyrics softly as he smiled at Leia. For each, it was an unexpected moment of intimacy, and Han's sexy voice caused Leia to shiver in appreciation, her smile having the same effect on him.

Neither would forget this moment, as long as they lived.

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The dance had led the couple to abandon the idea of fixing the water and to more amorous thoughts. Chewie didn't mind that he had to pilot alone for a time, but Threepio was driving him insane. At least the droid could be turned off if necessary.

Han and Leia went straight to the captain's quarters. There wasn't a lot of time, but they felt an urgency in their need to join and become one. Neither would say it, but if things went wrong...they didn't want to go there. They gently undressed each other, and Han picked Leia up and set her gently on to the mattress, and joined her, taking her in his arms and being wrapped in hers. Their lips met, tenderly at first, kisses increasing in intensity and then covering each other's bodies, moving into spots that they knew were likely to produce intense pleasure. They'd learned much about each other on this trip, and pleasuring each other was one facet; they were learning that the art of love existed in everything they did. Love was behavior, love was courage, love was shared experience.

They took their time with each other, touching each centimeter of skin and hair, gazing into each other's eyes and realizing that they'd been born anew on this trip. They'd discovered want and need, almost surprising themselves with how deeply it ran.

Their lovemaking ended in a shuddering climax, leaving both simultaneously drained and fulfilled.

For a while, both were quiet, embracing each other softly, lingering in the afterglow.

Han broke the lovely silence. "What're you thinking?" he asked Leia.

She raised herself on one elbow. "How glad I am that I couldn't get to my transport." Her cheeks were flushed with happiness.

Han gave her a radiant smile. "You're not the only one."

"It's too bad we don't have infinite supplies," she said wistfully.

"What, you wanna spend your life flying all over the galaxy dodging Imperials and dealing with hazards?" Han teased her, but his voice was soft.

"If we could do it together, I'd be fine with it." And Han could tell she meant it.

They relaxed again for a time, but time was now running out.

"Honey, I think we need to get ready," he said, disappointment in his voice.

"And here I was ready to step off the ship completely naked," Leia joked gently.

"You can't do that. Any guy who sees you like that would try to sweep you off your feet."

"Won't happen. I've already been swept off my feet."

Both felt complete snuggling with each other, enjoying a moment of comfort and safety. But the time arrived, and both reluctantly got out of the bunk, dressed, and headed back to the cockpit.

The shower still wasn't working, but they'd leave it to the mechanics on Bespin. Leia and Han both had their misgivings about their destination, but neither was going to voice them.

"I hope they'll at least let us get cleaned up," Leia said of their soon-to-be hosts. That was, however, the least of her worries. _I've got a bad feeling about this_. But she would keep her thoughts to herself. Despite what Han had said, she could feel his anxiety.

"I'm sure Lando can help us out with that," Han said, with an assurance he didn't feel. At this point, though, they were committed. They had no other options left to them. They were nearly out of supplies and the _Falcon_ was

The beautifully colored clouds were coming into view. Maybe, each thought, it would be all right. After all, what could go wrong in such a beautiful place?


End file.
